Le Mans Classic 2018 - Plateau Two - 1949 to 1956

Three Jaguar D Types lead the field at the start of the first race.

Plateau Two is for the immediate pre-war era cars.   Jaguars won four times in this era and also took the first two positions in this plateau.  Ferrari, Mercedes and Talbot-Lago also won in this era.  However, for me the interest was in the cars that Briggs Cunningham raced here.  Amazing to see Le Monstre, his entry in 1950 which dwarfed many other cars.  Great also to see a 1953 Cunningham C4R. 

But frankly, there was so much to see of interest in this plateau.  Difficult to appreciate so many great cars all at once.  So easy to miss something!    So take your time to look at all of the cars below racing or in the paddock.

Podium Finishers

The second placed 1955 Jaguar D Type.

The 1955 Lotus IX Sebring that finished third in the index of performance leads a fantastic variety of cars through the Esses on lap one of the first race.

The 1955 Cooper T39 that came second in the Index of Performance.

The cars of Briggs Cunningham

The incredible Monstre Cadillac of 1950.

The 1953 Cunningham C4R leads a group through the Esses.

The Cunningham C4R chasing a Jaguar C Type down the start finish straight on Sunday morning.

FRENCH MARQUES

The rather slow 1949 Panhard Dyna X84.   The speed differential with a Jaguar D Type was huge!

The Parisian built 1951 Callista D 120 Ranelagh which has a Panhard engine.

1952 Deutsch-Bonnet LM

1954 Deutsch-Bonnet HBR

1958 Deutsch-Bonnet HBR

ITALIAN MARQUES

1954 Maserati A6GCS 

Another 1954 Maserati A6GCS

1950 FIAT 1500 Spéciale

1957 OSCA S 1500 TN

Beautiful 1953 Fiat 8V Zagato

1957 Maserati 450S

GERMAN MARQUES

A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL leads a Jaguar C Type, MGs and an Austin Healey through the Esses.

A Porsche 356 bumps over the kerbs at Raccordement on Sunday morning.

Porsche battles with a 1951 Frazer Nash MM replica and a Jowett.

BRITISH MARQUES

An 1954 AC Ace-Bristol chases a 1954 Kieft-Climax through Tertre Rouge.

1950 Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica.

1951 Jaguar XK120

1953 Jowett Jupiter.

Two MGAs lead an Austin Healey through the Esses.

1952 Jaguar C Type

1956 Lotus XI 1500

1955 Cooper T39 Bobtail.

1954 Kieft-Climax 1100

Preparation in the paddock on this 1956 Austin Healey 100/4

1954 Aston Martin D2/4.

1950 Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica.

1953 Morgan Plus 4

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page. 

1955 Cooper T39 Bobtail.